Child's Play
by Fuyukai
Summary: I have the oddest of dreams, odd it is because I know it will never come true. I want him to come in the middle of the night and whisk me away, take me to his own home and make me his wife. I cry because I know it'll never happen, I'm a stocky pubescent girl who never gets a second look from the boys in class.
1. Chapter 1

_The morning after every fortnight the tax-collectors come, they come for money that Father struggles to gather. Sometimes he is unable to pay the full sum, there is yelling, Mother doesn't let us stay. She keeps us in the room upstairs, tattered as it is, but the yelling makes it up there anyhow. I catch three glances at the most; one when he walks up the shrine steps, two when he first enters and Mother rushes us away, and three when he walks back down the steps._

_He has the most shapely eyes, and the colors! I asked Ma once, she said they were the color called amber, I've never heard of it though. His eyes are yellow, a precious yellow. I know he is tall, most likely taller than Father even. His long white hair cascades near his waist, I think its longer than mine. His clothes are always clean, never too wrinkled. I know that I love this man. I don't know his name. _

_I will never tell anyone of this, it's a personal secret I'm glad to have. The night before each visit is a relentless hope to me. I do not understand the talk of money, but the different tones of his voice I hear are a gift I keep only for myself. _

_School is fine. I hear the first year teacher has resigned. There is a lack of money in this town, my teacher says I should leave this town. She says I'm a quick learner and my writing skills should prosper in a more high class environment. I mentioned it to mother, she snorted, actually snorted, and refused. Mother always likes Rin more, my writing means nothing to her. I hate her. _

_- Kagome_

"You think he has the money this week?" Inuyasha asked his brother. The two brothers walked up the exaggerated staircase in near silence, taking in the deadened environment around them.

"Probably, I'd say this town has at least two moon cycles worth of money, then we'd move on," he responded practically in his usual stoic business tone. Around them the red paint of the railings was peeling itself off, the wood coming apart, the rest of the town was in no better shape. Repairs were to be made, yet no money was available to make those repairs.

This town used to be one of glory and beauty, yet as all other towns before it, there was trouble in paradise at the arrival of these two brothers. They were deemed as the tax-collectors through the wayward conversations whispered quietly through the town. They came first when conditions were prosperous, posed friendships and offered even more aid to the small town's economy. Then, trouble would rear its ugly head when residents began spending too carelessly, too greedily, spending more than they were earning. Silks kimono's, golden statuettes of ethereal goddesses, they were the first to be carried out. After that came beds, sons were taken to pay off debts through labor to partners of the two brothers. It was a pitiful cycle, once one town was sucked dry they'd move onto the next, that'd be the end of it.

The Higurashi residence, once the peak of the town, had begun to fade away as well. They had no sons old enough to send out to work, their oldest daughter had just reached the age of marriage. There would be no exchanges with the two Higurashi girls however, every time they arrived they'd be stored away upstairs. The two looked from the top window, an odd leering gaze the one would give that only the older Sesshomaru seemed to notice. Though he never mentioned the topic out loud.

The old wife of the house let them in promptly, holding tea that smelled absolutely horrid. A grimace graced the feature of the elder brother as the younger brother kept a serious manner, determined to simply be rid of his own work.


	2. Chapter 2

_Yesterday the yelling was explicitly loud. That is the word Mother gave when I asked her what had happened. Explicit reasons she says. I'm almost sure that it was because Father couldn't pay nearly the full sum he owed. The debtors left angry, in the midst of the furor Rin and I snuck to the staircase, not daring past the seventh step, but we got a good enough look from there._

_I sat there for the longest time, gazing in his ultimate beauty. His calm slender eyes were a gorgeous shade, they were 'amber.' I was almost scared of his loud voice, but when you really love someone it doesn't matter how loud they yell, at least you're hearing their voice. I fear Rin's cast her eye on my love, she's a good five years younger than myself. I can't voice that fear lest Mother hears or she tattles on me. We both know Mother chides after me constantly and reveres Rin. I hate her, I hate them both. _

_I have the oddest of dreams, odd it is because I know it will never come true. I want him to come in the middle of the night and whisk me away, take me to his own home and make me his wife. I cry because I know it'll never happen, I'm a stocky pubescent girl who never gets a second look from the boys in class. My hair is knotty and unwashed, when we have access to water mother makes sure to bathe Rin first. She says it's because Rin is smaller and will take up less water. _

_I wish I looked like a goddess from the stories Mother told me as a child, then I would become his wife and all of my problems would disappear. I would cook, make the beds, all the things wives would do._

_School is fine._

_- Kagome_

The old man cowered at the trembling fury Sesshomaru spat at him with each passing second. The head of the Higurashi household's knees had finally buckled, he hadn't any money to spare to pay off debt. He yelled and stomped his foot, ranting about how it was always the same. Old crows spending too much, practically asking for their own demise. How pathetic could a people be to fall prey to such a time transcending scheme. Two daughters and a son paying for the wanton desires of an old man who couldn't carry their burdens, it's a pity. Two daughters useless to their father and a son too young to work off any debt. The entire family be damned. He shouted at lengths, his voice must have rang throughout the neighborhood bearing a threat to the houses that were to be visited next.

"Brother, calm down won't you," Inuyasha began while placing a hand on the others shoulder, "Higurashi-san, the best you can do now is sell furniture. We will have men come to claim articles that have any value in a few days."

"Taisho-sama, only a week more! A week more and the money will be here! I'll be able to get money from relatives, I'll gather it I swear," the pitiful old man gravelled. Sesshomaru threw a dirty look at the crumbled visage of a man and Inuyasha backed away from the old man's grasp, compassion wasn't a strong suit of the Taisho brothers.

"A few days is all, if you can repay the sum you owe before my men are here Higurashi-san then I won't have to take your furniture," Inuyasha responded. Yet his tone wasn't consoling at all, he mocked the old man, knowing that he wouldn't have the sum by then. His cynical tone drove the old wife to drop by her husband's side to stroke his shoulder. The elder brother waited by the doorway, the sound of sobbing wasn't escaped as the duo exited the torn down shrine. They had more houses to visit, more debts to collect, more pathetic humans to divide and conquer.

_I hate Rin, almost as much as Mother. Actually I don't hate Mother anymore, she doesn't pay much attention to Rin anymore. The men haven't come to take our furniture yet. Mother simply roams aimlessly, she constantly goes begging to the neighbors, preaching of our situation and how rosy life used to be. _

_A boy at school told Rin she was pretty, his name is Kubota. He's a little pig. All Rin does now is squawk about how beautiful all the boys think she is. A bold one that is, I know she's making fun of me all the while. I think she's catching onto my feelings as well. I told her she's going to end up marrying that fat pig Kubota and having ugly babies with him, she got mad and said she'd steal my writing journal. I hate that girl. _

_Our teacher has resigned, I've stopped going to school._

_- Kagome_

"Onee-chan...you rat...where'd you hide that stupid book…" Rin murmured viably as she rummaged through the already ransacked room. The two sisters shared a room so it shouldn't have been this hard to locate one measly journal.

Rin felt under the futon for any lumps, trying to feel the book out. Her intentions weren't too sinister, she'd simply reserve the book for a while until her sister begged for forgiveness. She wondered briefly why her sister began to isolate herself more. It was definitely at the arrival of the tax-collectors, her sister had changed. Before the two would play hide and seek in the flimsy woods near the shrine, Kagome would carry her back to the shrine when Rin got too tired. She missed her loving sister, and in times like these she yearned for her sister even more.

"Not even under the futon!" Rin grumbled. Her temper began to rise, she wouldn't lose to a ripped apart book, she'd find it and seize it if it was the last thing she ever did. She moved to check the little cubby hole once more until she tripped under a loose floorboard. Falling with a resounding thud, she was glad her sister was out seeing off their newly fired teacher. She felt an odd texture rub against her foot, quite soft and almost leathery...the book!

She scrambled to yank the small journal from underneath the floorboard and stood triumphantly by the window. The window, which was actually a rectangular hole surrounding the wood, the glass had fallen out long ago and there was no money to replace it. Rin held it up in the sunlight, making sure it was the one she was searching for. Sure enough, her sister's vicious scribbles marred the yellow pages.

"ONEGAI HAVE MERCY!" a shriek echoed from the first floor, the mere epicenter of it managed to shock Rin completely as the book jumped from her hands and out the gaping window. "RIN! Downstairs now!" her mother's voice wailed once more. She saw men coming up the shrine steps accompanied by one of the tax-collectors. An inward groan signified, there would be no time to collect the book at the moment. She'd have to go back for it later. It wasn't as though her sister would see it there either.

It was a pity, the little girl was more concerned with the book and the revenge she'd take against her sister. Little Rin, so pretty, so pretty as said by Kubota, she didn't know much of money. But she realized her situation once they took the dainty tea pots she played with when her mother made tea. When they took the stove that kept them warm, they ransacked the little girl's rooms, tore the futon from the floor. Her father was nowhere to be found, he said he'd have the money, he just had to ask their relatives. Rin kept telling them that, but the savage men, they took and took and kept on taking, the savages.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the reviews guys .w. 3 This is my first story on here so I'm glad to have received so many w! I would like to emphasize that Kagome's still seriously young, and her infatuation is still like a schoolgirl's crush ya know? And when you're at that age you get moody pretty quick, and I'm pretty sure almost every teen goes through that "I hate my mom phase" which is kinda what Kagome's going through. I've got character development on its way though!

Also, up until now the diary entries have been in chronological order, I've been using them to show jumps in time. From this point on they will be random entries of Kagome's past. Also, - indicates a blank, meaning the writing is unclear and cannot be deciphered. (Incase you haven't guessed yet this takes place in the 18th period-ish).

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><p><em>Rin and me went out to play in the woods behind the shrine on -. The other girls from the neighborhood came to play as well, I was really happy! There were no boys there except Hojo from the Akitoki house, but he didn't really play with us. He likes to look at the flowers a lot, Father says the Akitoki house is a very rich one, but their house is as big as ours and Hojo's mother wears silk kimonos just like Mother's.<em>

_We played the game Kagome Kagome again, I hate that game. Everyone - makes fun of me because I always know whose behind me. I just know who it is. Ayumi called me a cheater and Rin call her a liar and then Ayumi pushed Rin. I bit Ayumi and Mother got - mad. Rin and I laughed about it - she's my best friend. Mother said when we'd grow up we - get husbands we won't do stuff like this -. I don't believe that, even when I'm married I'm going to go out and play hide and seek with Rin in the woods and we'll beat up anyone who makes fun of us. _

_I'm starting school this moon cycle, I'm excited since the private teacher says I do good writing so far._

_- Kagome_

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><p>"Doesn't even show his face...disgusting," Inuyasha muttered, he wiped the corners of his mouth with a weak fist as he pulled his sleeves upward. He gave a vivacious knock at the door and stood idly by, ignoring the telltale squawking and worried mixture of "They're here! They're here!" and "Where's that deadbeat man of the house?" Another urgent knock to the door, he meant business.<p>

The door opened weakly at a timid angle, the old crow backed came out with teary eyes, surprisingly quiet for once. She called out for her daughter, Rin her name was?

"I suppose your husband hasn't the money he owes us," Inuyasha resounded morbidly. An expected sigh preceded his orders to the burly men accompanying him to begin rummaging through the house, to take anything of value and bring it outside, he would inspect the objects then they'd carry them back. The wife regained that broken sob and sat in a corner, she held her young daughter close to her side. It was a sight Inuyasha was quite familiar with. He briefly exited the house and began examining the exterior of the house.

A soft hum rumbled from the man's throat as he walked a somber routine around the shrine. They had a decent amount of land, that was sure. At the end of the moon cycle it would be best to take the land to end it all. There was a woods behind the shrine that stretched for quite a bit. Assured by the constant grunts and dirty chit chat, he ventured into the forest for a stroll. The air was much kinder here, he gave a thought to the heritage of the shrine overall. It was a blessed land, the all-too famous priestess Midoriko had passed through the town, supposedly staying in this shrine according to rumors.

There was definitely a different aura in the woods, he felt calm, almost serene. His shoulders slumped and he sat on the dirt floor, his posture supported by a gentle shrub behind him. For a moment there was nothing else that mattered, broken families, the cries of children, the frail words of his dying mother, he unheard them for that simple moment. They were gone.

This peace was something he seldom felt, it tore at him since Inuyasha knew it wouldn't last, it was an indefinite mistress always eluding him, always ten steps ahead of him. He knew his life wasn't a good one, he was a dark man and his lack of emotions had begun to take a toll on him. His brother was a master of apathy, all his life he had tried to model himself after his brother, his half-brother to be accurate. They didn't have the best of relationships.

"AY BOSS! Looka' what we got 'ere!" a churlish deep-throated shout rang out. Low-class inbreds he thought. No manners at all. Then again, they were the best to hire, they wouldn't know the difference of sixty silver coins to a nugget of gold, more was always better. He collected himself, suppressing his previous morbid thoughts. He stood tall against the green of the forest, began walking once more in the direction of the shrine until something hit his foot.

"A doll?" He murmured hopelessly, picking up the dusty remnant from the ground and shaking off the thin layer of dirt crusted over it. There was a scribble of dark Kanji written on the back of the tattered plush doll, it read _KAGOME_. Without a good reason, he stashed the doll into his kimono and continued his way back to the shrine.

A compilation of rickety furniture had made its way to the front yard of the shrine. Futons, desks, appliances, Kanji scrolls that were once plastered onto walls, all piled on top of one another. It was a pathetic display, he moved past it without a second thought and ducked his head into the entrance of the shrine.

"Good job men! Keep at it, inspect every room," Inuyasha hollered out to the men. He paid no attention to the crumbled woman in the corner rubbing tears into her knees. The atmosphere of the inside was too much to bear, ignorant ruffians could work through it, but Inuyasha left and resumed walking around the perimeter. He roamed mindlessly until he felt the rough edges of glass press against his feet. The thin fabric wrapped around the bottoms of his feet protected him minimally, shoes weren't exactly Inuyasha's favorite thing to wear as the sharpened nails lined against each toe constantly disagreed with the soft fabric.

Small shards of glass were scattered about the ground, he looked up to see a gaping hole in the second floor. It was probably a window whose glass had broken, Kami knows there was no way to get any repairs done in this forsaken town. He muttered a few curses as he lifted his foot to shake off any loose pieces of glasses until he saw something out of the mere corner of his eye.

A book? He picked up the meager leather-bound book and briefly glimpsed at the thin sheets of paper covered in black scratches of inky kanji. Curiosity bested him, he never listened to the struggles of families that fell prey to the Taisho brothers, but the tumbled words seemed impersonal enough. He delicately flipped the pages, simply skimming through the different entries until a certain few phases caught his eye. Immediately his face darkened a few shades as his eyes roamed over the words several times. The emotion and diction encompassed the once-thought solitude man, words he had never thought to exist, he absorbed them wholesomely, a new horizon building inside him.

A few haughty voices yanked Inuyasha out of his stupor as he was suddenly reminded of his surroundings. He looked around to make sure no one had seen and then roughly placed the small journal into his kimono, right next to the old doll.

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><p><em>Father told us that Mother is about to give me a brother, he gave us a word but I don't know the kanji for it. He really wants for a boy, he says he loves Rin and me but he wants a boy. I'm nervous, I don't know if I want another sibling. What if he doesn't like me, what if he only plays with Rin, or worse, what if Rin only plays with him.<em>

_I made Rin promise she wouldn't ever ever ever love the new boy more than me. We'll be best friends forever, I know it. Mother laughed at that, she told us to wait and see when we grow up. I think that's stupid, I know Rin and I will always always always be the best of friends. Always._

_- Kagome_

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><p>Next chapter should be up soon! I don't think this will be as long as I originally intended. But in case some of you haven't noticed yet, Kagome's journal is very ambiguous. Think about that.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Happy New Year's Eve everyone! Hope you're having a fun time where ever you are and I hope you all have a positive outlook for 2015 too c: ~

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><p>He rested comfortably in his futon, a lone candle illuminating enough of the room to allow Inuyasha to read the small leather-bound journal in his hands. There would be no sleep tonight for Inuyasha, his mind was consumed by a plethora of thoughts exploding each second. He'd begun by reading a random page outside the shrine, the moment he realized the writer was talking about him he was overcome.<p>

He read that page repeatedly, then went on to read the next flurry of pages that continued on about the girl's fascination with him. Never before had he been spoken of in such a manner before, women tended to curb away from him, preferring to linger over his brother instead. It had impacted his view of women, he saw them as physically weak versions of men, he choked all of his desires long ago opting to dedicate himself to his work.

The decorated words on the page brought him out of those despairing thoughts, he clutched the small journal to his chest and sighed. There was a connection between him and this girl, she had suffered through a lackluster life not being able to pinpoint what was missing; and then she met Inuyasha. A blush dampened across Inuyasha's face as he tried to visualize what the girl looked like. She wasn't present today when he had come to collect the furniture, and her mother always kept her upstairs during meetings.

_She'll have long hair_, he thought, eyes closed in bliss he tried to manufacture his own image of her. _Long dark hair, eyes that are brown, they'll be large and searching. _In a flash he thrust the book above his head once again to venture through the lines of writing, wondering if she ever wrote about how she looked. She called herself fat, 'stocky', she called herself unflattering terms that caused him to furrow his eyebrows. He doubted they were true, she wrote the beautiful words about him but couldn't write such things about herself, it intrigued him. He thought for a second, what if they were true. In his head he saw a plump red-faced heap of skin huffing over him, a unscrupulous mess drenched in lice covering her scalp.

As if to repent, he squeezed his eyes shut tighter, bringing the soft book to his lips to give it an apologizing peck. He wouldn't care what she looked like, he would look past it, not even ignore it. Inuyasha would embrace all of her features, he'd seen her heart written on paper and that was all he desired. He would -

These thoughts were interrupted by a slide of a tatami door, a few giggles that belonged to some strange woman without a doubt, and then the deep plunging footsteps he knew belonged to his brother. Inuyasha jumped onto his feet, determined to have a conference with his brother before he indulged in the whore he brought home this time. There was no surprise in Inuyasha's face when he found some floozy hanging off his brother's shoulder, completely consumed by alcohol and her own human lust.

"Inuyasha, you're still awake I see," Sesshomaru spoke emotionlessly, though he didn't stop his walk towards his own private room.

"Sesshomaru I have business to speak of with you," Inuyasha interjected with more force, Sesshomaru looked up in response to that. He directed the woman to his room then motioned Inuyasha to speak.

"I've decided that we should forgive the Higurashi debt, they have something of use to me," Inuyasha told, his claim was impeccable, his tone left no room for argument. Sesshomaru, now intrigued, actually bothered to give Inuyasha an interested glance.

"The shrine-keepers? It's a bad business move to do so, they have nice land. We will get much money for it, what could they possibly have that could be of use to you brother?" Sesshomaru spoke, his avid interest poisoned with drowsiness. He was clearly in no mood to fight with his brother, but he couldn't see his brother's logic.

"Their daughter, I will marry their eldest daughter," Inuyasha responded deftly, and with that he stormed back to his room. Finally getting the burden off of his chest, he said it out loud. He wouldn't take any of Sesshomaru's criticism on the topic, they would go see the Higurashi family the next day, they would discuss the proposition. He would give Sesshomaru no room to argue.

Sesshomaru stumbled to his room, ignoring the nude woman waiting for him in his bed. He fell onto the opposite side of the bed and showed the woman his back indicating he was in no mood tonight.

"W'aas wrong Sesshy?" a drunk pout came from the woman.

"Not tonight," Sesshomaru grunted, and shut his eyes for the night. He was lost, his brother had never indicated any interest in women, in romance, in marriage, and suddenly he was determined to take a poverty-ridden client as a bride.

_I've found a treasure today, he forgot his writing feather today when negotiating new terms with Father today. Before anyone could've taken notice I swooped downstairs and stole it, now I'm writing with it. Oh the ecstasy I feel knowing my hand gropes the same feather his own hands cradled not too long ago! It's almost as though we've held hands. _

_Mother and I got into a spat yesterday, I asked her why Father owes so much money. Of course I couldn't ask directly of the tax-collectors, this way was sneaky, I'd get information without her knowing of my feelings. Mother was quite frazzled when I asked, she spoke with with spite that irked me to anger, though I tried not to let it show. She said the tax-collectors were businessmen with the intent to ravage the country and take its spoils from themselves. It can't be, it's father's fault he took so much money he didn't need. Mother smacked me upside the head for that remark, I'll never forget the pain that brought! She said that tax-collectors broke apart families, they took food out of the mouths of children._

_I can't see the image of my love stealing bread from a child, and despite that I know somehow that my mother might not be lying. I've noticed the many changes in the house, Rin and I share a futon, Mother rarely makes anything other than rice, and quite often she sends me off to the Akitoki house to ask for spare salmon. I can't blame him, even if he takes he must also give. He's given me so much to look forward to, I don't cry under the moon anymore, things that upset me before seem more petty now. I'm starting to care less of what the village boys think of me. This happiness is something he gave me, that's why this love is so important to me._

_He can't be a bad man, I can tell from the way he walks up and down the stairs, the way his hair waves gently, that he must care for something. He cares, therefore I care for him in the manner which I do._

_- Kagome _


End file.
